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Introduction to the Parker B. Francis Summer Fellowship

The Parker B. Francis Summer Research Fellowship Program provides valuable and unique medical research opportunities for Kansas City area undergraduate students pursuing careers in medicine and medical research.

Program Description

The goal of the program is to encourage students to pursue careers in research related to lung disease. Research projects with broad relevance to lung diseases will be considered. Successful applicants will be students interested in pursuing a career in science or medicine. The PBF Summer Fellowships are funded by the Francis Family Foundation through the University of Kansas Medical Center Research Institute.

Fellowship Details

• Summer fellows will work as temporary student employees at the University of Kansas.
• The PBF Summer Fellowship provides a stipend to the student for the 10-week work/study period starting the day after Memorial Day.
• The student is responsible for housing and transportation and is expected to comply with all University of Kansas laboratory regulations and training requirements.

Eligibility

Applicants must be enrolled in a full-time undergraduate program at the time of application and have:

• A cumulative grade point average of 3.0
• Completed college-level introductory courses in chemistry and biology
• Plans to pursue a career in medicine or science
• U.S. citizenship or hold a U.S. permanent resident visa

Application Instructions

• The student will list on their application two faculty members at the University of Kansas who are conducting research with broad relevance to pulmonary diseases as potential mentors for their summer fellowship.
• To apply, the applicant must upload the following documents:
  • PBF Fellowship application, complete and saved as a single PDF file
  • Official college transcript
  • Two confidential letters of recommendations on the PBF Summer Fellowship Program recommendation form

Application Review Process

Applications are reviewed by members of the Parker B. Francis Fellowship Program Council of Scientific Advisors. All applicants will be notified of the award decision no later than March 4, 2026.

Fellowship Program Leadership

• Navneet Dhillon, Ph.D., PBF Summer Fellowship Director, Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine
• Nancy Stewart, D.O., MS, Clinical Shadowing, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Department of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine
• Melanie Bassham, PBF Summer Fellowship Administrator, Pulmonary Research Division

Research Areas

The program encompasses various research areas, including:

• Airway and Asthma Translational Research Unit
• COVID/Post-COVID Research Unit
• Cystic Fibrosis
• Interstitial Lung Disease
• Non-CF Bronchiectasis and NTM Research
• Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia Research
• Pulmonary Hypertension Research
• Quantitative Pulmonary Imaging
• Sepsis Research Unit
• Sleep Disorders Research Unit

Application Deadline

The application deadline is Friday, February 6, 2026. All application materials must be received by this date.